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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cold — not warm
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cold — an illness
  18. stand — to bear
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. can — to be able to
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com